AN: Thanks for all the follows on this story. I'm posting this chapter a little earlier than expected as I am going out of town for a few days. That means that Chapter 5 will be a little later as I am not taking my laptop with me. I do hope you are enjoying this little romp as we peel even more layers from the Castle Onion. Again, thanks LEM for the Beta.

Chapter 4. Who let the Dogs Out?

Rick sat back and smiled. He looked at his girls. They were both beautiful; he was a very lucky man. They were chatting about a myriad of things...he hated to interrupt them, but he wanted their input."Ladies?" They both turned to him.

"I have something I want to run by the two of you. I've been offered a job of sorts and I would like your opinion."

Kate looked alarmed. "Are you not coming back with me?"

"It depends on our decision in a way. But don't panic, it will be fine."

"Dad, you're scaring us. Just spit it out."

Rick grinned. "It seems that the FBI would prefer not to part with me. I've been offered a job working as a consultant with the NYPD."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Well, Rick, you are already a consultant with the NYPD."

"Yes, but this would be a paid position...and I get to carry."

"Dad, weren't you going to leave the FBI again?"

He nodded. "That was the plan Alexis. But the one thing that always worried me was that I couldn't really be Kate's partner because I couldn't have her back for real."

Kate put her hand over his. "Rick, you've had my back."

He turned his hand over and gently squeezed hers. "I know, Kate, but I always had to hang back because I was unarmed. I won't be in the future."

"Okay, so what's the catch?"

"I had that same question. Well, my primary job would be to help the NYPD if Federal assistance was needed. If none was needed I would be assigned as your partner officially. If a national emergency came up, I could be called to Washington to assist until the crisis had passed."

Kate looked at Alexis who shrugged. "So what do you want from Alexis and me?"

"I don't know. Do you think I should take this or not?"

Alexis looked at her dad. "Dad, you once told me that you should make decisions based on a combination of what your heart and your head say to you. So what do they say?"

"My head says it's a good thing and my heart says that I would not have to be worried so much about losing Kate."

Kate smiled. "So what does that make your decision?"

Rick grinned and pulled out his phone. He hit the speed dial for the Director's office. "Hello, sir? Can I give it a trial run?" He smiled. "Thank you, sir. I'll call you tomorrow." Rick pulled his glass of wine towards him and took a gulp and motioned for Gregory to bring their check.

TCOP2

He looked up at the knock on the door. "Enter."

Rachel McCord walked in and closed the door behind her. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

The Deputy AG nodded. "I would like you to go to New York and assist in trial prep for the Bracken case."

"Only assist, sir?"

"That's right, McCord. The team there is qualified and you are to help them navigate any...hurdles that come up. You contact me and I will help you."

"Yes, sir. When do you want me there?"

"In the morning will be fine, Agent McCord. And please give this to the Special Agent in Charge." He handed her a courier pack.

She nodded. "Of course, sir. I'll get the arrangements made and be there first thing."

"Great. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She clutched the pack and left his office, going straight to the travel team to get things in place.

The travel team lead looked up at her approach. "Where to this time Rachel?"

"New York City. I'll need a flight for me and hotel for three nights starting tomorrow. I need to be there first thing."

He started typing. "Will you need a car?" At her nod he typed some more.

"I'll forward details to your phone. You're confirmed for a six AM flight and you'll be staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania on 7th avenue. I'll have your car ready at the airport with a GPS."

She smiled. "Thanks, Jerry."

"Have a safe trip."

She grinned and headed to gather her things; she had to go home and get packed.

TCOP2

Evelyn Montgomery had been a cop's wife for years. Her husband had risen through the ranks to Captain; she was not blind to dome of the things that happened. When he had come home earlier she knew that something had happened but she had not dreamed that he had been involved as deeply as he had originally. He had been so gullible to be pulled into things by Raglan.

She watched him sip his whiskey while she contemplated what to say. "Is that everything?"

He nodded. "I knew that Raglan had not been truthful with Kate, but there was nothing I could do at the time. I didn't know that Bracken had ordered her mother's killing; the whole thing was beyond what I was aware of at the time. I finally figured it out when I caught her in the records room as a rookie and I got a look at the paperwork. Random gang violence is what he called it. Stabbings with that many entry points usually means anger and that is not random."

Evelyn walked over to him and lifted his chin so that she could look him in the eye. "A wise man once told me that sometimes you have to take a stand."

He chuckled. "A wise man? I'm not wise, Ev. But I am going to take a stand. I'll understand if this means..."

"Stop right there Roy Edward Montgomery! I do not want to hear another word from you! For better or for worse, remember? Now go take a shower and get ready for bed...you stink!" She turned away from him to go get a glass of water. She needed some aspirin and then she was going to get some sleep.

Roy looked up at the woman he loved as she left the room. He once again marvelled at the way she read him. He finished his drink and headed upstairs to check in on his girls and get a shower. He smiled at the sleeping girls and closed their door. He was a very lucky man.

TCOP2

Rick sat on the side of the bed. They had gotten back home and Alexis kissed him before she headed off to her room for the night. Kate had stepped out of her shoes and taken them to the bedroom to put away and he followed. He emptied his pockets and hung up his jacket before he had sat down to remove his shoes.

"Are you okay, Rick?"

He looked up and smiled. "I'm fine, love. I'm just relaxing...when we met, I had no idea the danger you were in. It's nice to finally scale back the worry."

"Rick, I...I'm sorry. I never wanted to drag you through all this."

He jumped up and pulled her to him. "Katherine Beckett, you better stop right now. You never asked me to do anything; I jumped right in."

"I know, but..."

"Kate?"

She looked up at him. "Yeah?"

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do."

"Would you do anything if it meant I would be safe?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Would you put yourself in danger for me or Alexis?"

She looked down. "Yes."

"Then there is nothing to be sorry about."

"I hate when you are right."

"Oooooh...say that again."

She grinned. "Say what again?"

"That I was right."

She shook her head. "I have no idea why you think that!"

He glared at her. "You said it!"

"Nope...you misheard me."

"Ugh!"

She laughed. "I love you, Alex."

He fake pouted. "Are you sure?"

She leaned in and kissed him. "I couldn't be surer."

"More sure."

"Whatever. Now take me to bed."

He grabbed her and threw her on the bed before turning out the lights.

TCOP2

He looked over his shoulder and didn't see anyone following. He had been pursued all day and he thought that he had lost them twice, but they turned up shortly each time.

He approached the door of the derelict warehouse, glad that he had set up several of these bolt-holes just in case. He turned the key in the lock and swiftly entered, closing the door behind him and securing it.

He leaned against the door and relaxed his shoulders allowing himself to release the tension. He smiled to himself as he thought back to their surprise when he ran; they hadn't been expecting it. He knew the game was up when he heard the insistent knocking on his front door. He wondered who had given him up...he hated loose ends. He decided to plan his revenge in the morning and walked through to the office where he had a cot and supplies stored for emergencies.

He unpacked the cot and threw the sleeping bag on top before grabbing a box from the stack of MRE's sitting there. He pulled out his trusty p40 can opener and popped the can of chicken and grabbed a couple of crackers. He ate greedily and grabbed a bottle of water to wash it down with. He finished up and threw the trash into a bad he kept handy for that reason before he settled down into the sleeping bag. He kept his pistol within reach as he closed his eyes and let the fatigue he felt carry him away into slumber.

TCOP2

Tommy Maretti was a third generation member of the Palono family. He had done his first smash & grab when he was ten and had made his way up the ranks until, at thirty-eight years of age ran the 'escort' business for the family. He had caught the eye of Lucy Palono who was the sister of the head of the family and they had become engaged officially the day before. The family gathered that night and had celebrated with free flowing wine; that explained Tommy's hangover.

He rolled out of bed and made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. He adjusted the water and tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper before stepping in and letting the hot water ease his headache. He heard movement in the bathroom and smiled. Lucy had a habit of joining him in the shower. "Hey, baby...you ok this morning?"

He did not, however, expect the gravelly voice that replied or the snicker that accompanied it. "Nah, Tommy. I'm good, but thanks for askin'."

Tommy closed his eyes. Vince Stefani was one of Joey Palono's right hand men. "What's up Vinnie?"

"Boss wants to see ya."

"Okay...can I finish my shower?"

"Sure. I'll wait outside."

Tommy heard the door close and he made quick work of getting clean and dressing before joining Vince in the kitchen. "I'm ready. Any idea what's up?"

Vince smiled. "Yeah. Congratulations, by the way. Lucy's a sweet girl."

Tommy smiled. "Yeah...I'm a lucky stiff. She is way too good for me and I have to work to make sure I may someday be worthy."

"Grab your jacket and we'll head out." Tommy nodded and put his jacket on. He followed Vince out to the car and got in. They were quiet as they drove to Joey Palono's house and stayed that way as they made their way inside. Tommy nodded to the few others that they passed as they walked through the house and out to the patio beyond where Joey sat eating breakfast.

Joey looked up and motioned for Tommy to sit in the empty chair across from him. "Morning, Tommy. You eat already?"

"No, but I'm not that hungry."

"Nonsense, you're gonna have to eat to keep up with that sister of mine."

Tommy laughed. "Your sister is something else, Joey. Thanks again for your blessing."

Joey looked up. "Lucy is a frustrating sister but I know she loves you. I'm glad she chose you; but the situation changes things."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Joey grinned. "I'm gonna ask Tony to take over your job. You, my future brother-in-law are destined for bigger things."

"What do you need me to do, Joey?"

Joey looked over at Vince. "See why I love this guy? What do I need?" He laughed and turned back towards Tommy. "I think you are gonna like your new job." Tommy smiled as he waited. Knowing Joey, he could be waiting to be killed but he was in too deep to worry.

Joey nodded and Vince left the room. "Tommy, how long have we known each other?"

"All our lives, Joey. Our mothers were best friends and we were born less than a week apart. I can't remember NOT knowing you."

Joey smiled. "Exactly! We have always been like brothers, haven't we? And who else would I trust with Lucy?"

"I will be honored to be your brother in law, Joey."

"Good. Well, I know you're wondering why I asked you to come today."

"I will admit being a little curious."

Joey laughed. "I have a job opening, Tommy, and I want you to fill it."

Tommy looked confused. "What do you want me to do?"

Joey shook his head. "It seems I am in need of a new Consigliore."

Tommy was confused. That was Vince's job. "What about Vince?"

It was the first time all day that Joey looked angry. "Vince has decided to step down from the position."

Tommy looked at Joey with a frown. "If you want me to be your advisor, I will need to know more than you have told me in the past. For instance, what did Vince do to make you so angry?"

Joey leaned back, smiling again. "Good! You know what to ask. I would ask Vince to join us to explain himself, but he is not available at this time. John is discussing his retirement options with him as we speak."

Tommy wondered just how bad it was. "So what did Vince do?"

"Does this mean you will accept the position?"

"I would be honored."

Joey nodded. "Good. The dimwit thought that I wouldn't catch him skimming, He was taking two large a week. I thought something was up last year, so I asked Lucy to record what the take was before it got to Vince and then we compared it to what Vince was turning in. I gave him three months; and when I asked him about it yesterday he didn't have the balls to admit it. So I talked with Lucy and Jerry last night and we agreed on you as a replacement."

Tommy sat back. He wouldn't have pegged Vince to go against the family, but then he never really knew the man. He looked at Joey and thought about how they had played together as kids and how much he loved the man. "So, where do we start?"

Joey smiled. "We have a request from a friend of the family. You remember Derek?"

Tommy laughed. "Man, that guy was a card. What's he been up to?"

Joey grinned. "He became a Fed, then quit and became a writer. He goes by Richard Castle now."

"Derek is Richard Castle? I love that Nikki Heat chick!"

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, he just brought down Bracken and company...you hear about that?"

"Yeah. Lucy and I saw some stuff on the news about it."

"Well, Derek and the real Nikki are engaged...remind me to send him a present, will ya? It seems Bracken put out the hit on Nikki's mom back in 1999."

Tommy sat up straight. "Joey, Derek saved my skin a couple of times in school. What's he asking for?"

Joey smiled. "I owe him too. He wants some pressure applied on some folks to get more dirt on Bracken and his people. Are you up for managing it? You can use any of our people that you need to."

Tommy nodded. "Should I contact him?"

"No, work it through me. Since he's back playing Fed for a bit I can get it to him. I will ask if he can drop by so we can have an engagement party for him, though."

"Okay. Thanks for the new job, Joey."

"Make me proud, Tommy. Oh, and we'll get your things moved here later. You can change your office later too."

The men stood and embraced before Tommy set off to start getting things in place to get the information together.

TCOP2

Rick and Kate got into the office early. Jordan had texted Kate that she was running a little late, so they were surprised to see her chair occupied. The woman looked familiar to Rick. "McCord?"

"Hi there, Mastermind."

Rick laughed. "No one has called me that in years. Kate, meet Rachel McCord. McCord, Kate Beckett, NYPD Detective and my fiancée."

McCord raised an eyebrow as she shook Kate's hand. "My condolences, Detective Beckett. The Mastermind here was a handful when I knew him."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "Please call me Kate. How did you two meet?"

Rick looked at Kate. "Let's see. She hated me and I totally read her in like two minutes, so she decided to put up with me. She was an agent with the civil team and I was in the BAU...it was like my third case."

McCord laughed. "He's right. I hated him. And then he nailed my background, so I decided to see what he could do. His profile of the leader helped us crack the case. I left the bureau a few years later and joined the AG's office as an investigator. And I'm Rachel."

Rick chuckled. "Well, that explains why you're here."

She nodded. "Normally you'd be right. I'm used to coming in and taking over. But I have been directed to assist and clear red tape if necessary. Oh and I have a letter for you." She reached over next to the chair and pulled the courier pack out. She handed it to Rick and pointed to the 'Eyes Only' directive.

He looked at Kate. "I have to go to a secure room to open this. I'll be back in a few." At her nod of acceptance he headed to the conference room, leaving the two women to themselves.

Kate shook her head. "I learn more about him every day."

Rachel smiled. "He's a great guy, Kate. You're lucky to have him. When we met, I had been married several months and he figured out more about me in 5 minutes than my husband had at that point."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "I married my husband in September and it was the following March when I met Rick. He figured out I was a Cincinnati Reds fan; my husband knew I liked baseball but not which specific team I was a fan of."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "A Cincinnati fan? Is that where you are from?"

She shook her head. "I'm a Kentuckian by birth. My dad worked for the Reds for several years while I was growing up; we lived just across the river from Cincinnati."

Kate grinned. "Now, tell me why you call him Mastermind..."

TCOP2

Rick sat down and opened the pack. Inside was an envelope and a small package. Rick retrieved the envelope and opened it. Examining the signature, he grinned.

Derek:

You jerk! I did not know you were back at the Bureau until the reportas from the Bracken investigation crossed my desk. I'm sending Rachel to you as I know you've worked with her in the past. She's been instructed to assist you in any way possible to help build an airtight case. I've pulled her from other cases for the next week to help you, so make good use of her skills.

Now on to important things. How are you? I've not spoken to you in a few years...are you still working with the NYPD? Thanks for the last novel you signed! Clara is over the moon that her dad knows Richard Castle! I hesitate to tell her that we spent so much time together in detention back in boarding school. How's Alexis? Hope all is well.

I'd better get this sealed before McCord gets here, so call me if I can help at all. I owe you, Rick.

Micheal

Rick put the letter back in the envelope and pulled out the package. He opened it and pulled out an antique silver dog whistle. At the sight of it, he burst out laughing. Kate was going to love this story!